Cleaning tool



WL i5 1938.. M. i.. ROGERS 2,136,595

CLEANING TOOL Filed spt. 25, 1937 INVENTOR.

.Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT `OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a tool for removing scale, rust, paint, and the like, from the surfaces of objects, and particularly from surface areas Which are not readily accessible to the usual cleaning tools.

For the purposes of illustration, the present invention will be described in connection with the removal of oxide scale from metal welds, its uses for other purposes, such as the removal of paint, rust and the like, being apparent therefrom.

Heretofore, the removal of oxide scale from metal Welds has been found very diflicult, and no entirely satisfactory tool therefor has been provided. Multiple chisels operated by a pneumatic hammer have been used but have not proven of sufficient advantage over the usual hand methods to warrant general acceptance, due largely to the type of blow imparted thereby and also to the impossibility of subjecting the weld to their action when the weld is in a corner, such as between three or more angularly disposed metal plates.

rl'he present invention has for its principal ob- `iects the provision` of a tool which is arranged to strike a proper blow for shattering and completely removing the scale fromthe weld surface without damaging the metal or the Weld; which notl only shatters and loosens the scale from the surface but also removes it out of the zone of operation of the tool; which impels itself along the weld or area being cleaned, due to the reactance forces occasioned by its impact, and at a traverse speed as high as is consistent with thorough and efficient cleaning; and which is arranged so as to adapt itself to the contour of the surface from which the scale is to be removed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification, wherein reference is made to the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a tool embodying the principles of the present invention and connected to a pneumatic hammer for operation thereby;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the tool illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the tool and is taken on a plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic illustration of the tool and one of its operating characteristics.

Referring to the drawing, the tool indicated generally at I, comprises a body member 2 which is preferably in the form of a relatively heavy cylindrical sleeve. Integral with or connected to the body member 2 at one end is a vibratory anvil 3 which may be in the form of a hard steel plate. The anvil 3 has a stem 4 which is arranged for connection to the usual pneumatic hammer H in the customary manner of connecting such tools and hammers.

The end of the body opposite from the anvil is closed by a suitable plate 5 which may be of comparatively light metal and which is provided with a plurality of apertures 6 which are preferably uniformly distributed about the plate and extend parallelto the axis of the body 2. Chipping needles 'l are mounted inthe apertures 6, respectively, for individual reciprocation therein with respect to each other vand to the body. Each needle 'l extends from Within the interior of the body to the outside and is provided with greatly enlarged butt ends within the body. These enlarged butt ends are preferably elongated cylindrical weights formed of polished tool steel. Each of the weights is bored axially from one end to receive the endof one or more associated wires and the wires are xedly secured to the weights so as to form with their associated weights substantially unitary structures or inertia chippers.

The length of each of the weights 8 is about three-quarters of the distance between the vibratory anvil 3 and the end plate 5. The weights are accommodated in the body 2 side by side with only slight operating clearance. Thus, each weight is guided by adjacent weights for reciprocation endwise within the body and relative to the other Weights, and no weight can move a sufiicient distance endwise to pass out of lthe guiding relation.

The needles l are preferably of piano or spring wires of about 0.045 inch in diameter. In the form illustrated, the weights are about 1%," long and 5% in diameter, the wires being of suiicient length to extend about 4 beyond the plate 5 in their most extended condition.`

The rod 4 is suitably connected to the hammer H in the usual manner so that the anvil 3 has imparted to it the rapid successive impacts ofl the hammer H. 'I'he hammer is preferably one capable of striking about 3700 blows per minute so that the anvil becomes. in operating effect a vibratory member.

The specific dimensions above given have been found particularly suitable for the removal of oxide scale at Welded joints between angularly disposed` steel plates, though obviously variations can be made in the dimensions and rapidity of operation of the hammer, depending upon the use to which the device is to be put.

In operation, the tool is positioned with the working ends of the needles engaging the weld or surface to be cleaned. In case of irregularities in the contour of the surface, each needle automatically accommodates itself to the particular surface area which it engages so that, regardless of the irregularities of the surface, each portion is engaged. 'I'he tool and coaxial hammer preferably are tilted at an angle to the plane of the surface being cleaned, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The pneumatic hammer is operated, whereupon the needles reciprocate rapidly individually and at the same time effect a lateral whipping action at their free ends. These concurrent and recurrent impacts and whipping actions shatter and immediately remove the scale. Meanwhile, the tool and hammer creep in a direction toward the applied force of the hammer, as indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 4. This creepage is such that the operator merely holds the hammer lightly in inclined position with the free ends of the needles 1 against the surface to be cleaned and as the surface is cleaned, the device creeps away therefrom onto the contiguous uncleaned surface.

The particular impact and whipping action for fracturing and removing the oxide scale is very effective. The particular impact appears to be caused by the fact that only one or two of the weights 8 are. struck by the anvil 3 at any given instant so that the full force imparted to the anvil by the hammer is concentrated on one or two needles. The kinetic energy thus developed in each weight 8 drives the associated needle forwardly with a sharp and forceful impact which is concentrated on a very small scale area and is sufficientr to cause the associated needle to bow laterally and ilex when the end strikes against the surface to be cleaned. Reilexure of the resilient needles drives the weights 8 toward the anvil 3 at a comparatively high velocity, causing them to strike the anvil and rebound. The rebounding force of the weights from the anvil is accompanied by the additional energy added by another impact of the anvil, which additional impact augments the striking force of the needles on the scale. Thus, with a relatively small hammer, very sharp and concentrated blows are delivered to the surface. The whipping action of the needles laterally tends to brush off the scale or material as soon as it has been shattered by the impact of the needles.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A device for the purposes described comprising a body member, a plurality of iiexible resilient needles mounted in the body for reciprocatory movement relative to each other longitudinally, said needles having working ends, a vibratory anvil positioned in the path of reciprocation of the needles and arranged for imparting blows endwise to the needles in spaced relation to their working ends and in a direction toward the working ends.

2. A device for the purposes described comprising a body member, a plurality of relatively resilient needles mounted in the body member for endwise movement relative to each other, said needles having working ends, weights on the opposite ends of the needles, means for supporting the weights for limited reciprocating movement axially of the needles, and a vibratory anvil at said opposite ends of the needles positioned for striking the weights and impelling the weights and needles endwise toward their working ends.

3. A device for the purposes described comprising a body member, said body member having a portion with holes therethrough, needles tting in said holes for free axial reciprocation and having working end portions extending beyond said portion of the body and having butt end portions extending in the opposite direction from said portion of the body, individual weights on the butt end portions of diiferent needles and a vibratory anvil spaced from said portion of the body and normally beyond the weights in a direction away from the working ends of the needles, and arranged for impact with the ends of the weights adjacent to the anvil for impelling the needles endwise when the needles are in one position.

4. A device for the purposes described and comprising a body member, a plurality of resiliently flexible needles carried thereby and movable relative to each other endwise, weights on the needles and forming therewith inertia chippers, means on the body supporting the chippers for limited axial movement independently of each other, and a vibratory anvil for impelling the chippers axially.

5. A device for the purposes described comprising a hollow body having one end in the form of an anvil, a plurality of free and independently reciprocable weights in the body extending lengthwise thereof and arranged side by side in mutually guiding relationship to each other for maintaining each other in substantially parallel paths of travel lengthwise of the weights, each of said weights being engageable at one end with the anvil when in one position, and relatively resilient needles operatively associated with the weights for movement axially thereby when the weights are impelled in one direction by the anvil.

6. A device for the purposes described comprising a hollow body having one end in the form of an anvil portion, a plurality of free weights in the body extending lengthwise thereof and independently reciprocable endwise and arranged side by side in mutually guiding relation to each other for maintaining each other in their respective paths of travel endwise, each of said weights being engageable at one end with the anvil portion when in one position, means limiting all of the weights to movement endwise between the same limits, which limits are spaced apart less than the sum of the lengths of any two weights, and needles carried by the body and operatively associated with the weights for movement endwise thereby in a direction away from the anvil.

7. A scale removing tool comprising a tuft of elongated resilient members extending freely from a guiding and supporting body in the same general direction, each capable of reciprocating movement in said direction relative to the tuft as a mass, and means adapted for connection with a reciprocating power hammer for imparting rapid endwise movement to different members at diiferent times.

8. A scale removing tool comprising in combination, a hollow body, a plurality of elongated resilient members extending freely from the body in substantially the same direction, each capable of movement in the body into endwise abutment with a portion of the body, and a portable power hammer connected to the body in a manner to impart rapid endwise movement to different members at different times, through the intermediary of said body portion.

9. A device for the purposes described comprising a body member, a plurality of needles guided for reciprocatory movement in the body member and relative to each other lengthwise of the needles, said needles having Working ends and each having a movable elongated weight larger than the Working end and in spaced relation thereto, and an anvil adapted for connection with a power tool for imparting axially directed impelling forces to the different needles at different times.

HUGH L. ROGERS. 

